Life-preserver cushion.



G. A. SMAOK.

LIFE PRESERVBR CUSHION APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1913.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

hurrah rarer or ion GYRIIIL a. snack, or none seamen, new enew.

Lnrn-rnnsnnvn'n. e'usntoiil specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled April as, 1913. Serial No. 763,890.

and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life-Preserver Cushions, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a life preserver cushion which can be placed upon the shoulders of a person and there secured, when used as a life preserver.

A further object is to provide a device of the above character which can be very readily and easily applied as a life preserver and which will be extremely comfortable when so applied, and which will not impede the free use of the arms of the wearer and which will leave the chest free to expand 2e and contract.

This invention more specifically consists in a life preserver cushion comprising'front and rear members filled with suitable buoyant material, the members being secured together at their adjacent corners thereby so preserver.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a. view in perspective showing a cushion in position for use asa life preserver, Fig. 2 1s a top plan view of the cushion, and Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

The cushion is filled with some suitable buoyant material 1, such as capoc and the to cushion is made of the desired size to hold the head of the wearer well above the surface of the water when used as a life preserver.

The cushion comprises front and backmembers 2 and 3 secured together at their adjacent corners, as shown at 4 and 5, leaving a slit 6 for the insertion of the head of the wearer.

The under-arm straps are denoted by 7 and 8 and ar herein shown as formed of a single strip of material, an intermediate portion of which is secured to the top of the'back member 3 from end toend thereof at a point slightly back of its middle portion. These under-arm straps 7, 8 pass through rings 9 and 10 secured to the ends of the front member 2 preferably at points slightly to the front of its middle portion.

The arrangement of the rings on the front member and the point of attachment of the under-arm straps on the back mem- Patented Felon-d, llwld. n

her is such that when the preserver is held in position on the shoulders of the wearer the members will be drawn down snugly into position thereby holding the head of the wearer well above the surface of-the water and leaving the chin and neck free from any cramping by the cushion.

When the cushion is used as a life preserver the free ends of the under arm straps 7, 8 are passed rearwardly after they leave the rings 9 and 10 and are crossed at the hack of the wearer and ape then led forwardly and fastened together at the front of the wearer well below the chest thus leaving the ,chest free to readily expand and contract and leaving the arms of the wearer free. This arrangement will permit the wearer to swim if so desired with the least amount of cramping action.-

The free ends of the under-arm straps 7 and 8 are preferably provided with means such as rings 11, 12, for preventing the straps from being pulled through the rings 9 and 10, a

It will be seen that the life preserver cushion can be very readily used either as a cushion or as a life preserver as the case may be and that it is very quickly and easily applied when desired for use as a life preserver.

What I claim is v y A life preserverpushion comprising front and back members secured together at their adjacent corners to permit the insertion of the head between the members, and means for holding the cushion snugly on the shoul- 'ders, comprising under-arm straps leading across the top of the back member and rings secured to the ends of the front member through which the under-arm straps lead, presence oftwo witnesses, this twentythe sa'iddstrapsd being ildapteld t8 be psfissizd fourth day of April, 1913. rearwar y an crosse at t 1e ack 0 tie wearer andthen led forwardly and fasc-YRIL SMACK' Y 5 tened together at the front of the wearer. Witnesses:

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing F. GEORGE BARRY, as my invention, I have signed my name in HENRY C. THIEME. 

